If you haven't read the summary for Beggar's Byway yet, check it out on the second tab at the top of my website. This next post will share the origin of my new book.
One of the wardrobe crew from the last musical I was in painted this portrait of me for closing night. I am so grateful to her for this beautiful gift that captures such a fun show and a cherished chapter of my life! |
As seen in the summary for Beggar's Byway, the setting of the elven world begins in a circus. No, I was never a part of a circus (I don't have the grit or muscles for that); however, I did do a month of circus training for the last musical I did before moving to Omaha. My favorite moment from our training was when I face planted on the mat attempting to do a somersault through a hula hoop and the moment I stood on a guy's shoulders, saw the world from 11 feet in the air, and used some choice words that would make my grandma blush until he set my squirming self down.
The life of an actor is filled with hard moments but so many unique and fun experiences as well. Suddenly, I went from dancing in a two story tall elephant leg to attending meetings about putting together a Sunday morning church service. Two very different worlds! In the struggle that came with this major vocational and life change, I noticed all of these emotions bursting at the seams.
I processed the transition through prayer, music, mentors, close friends and family; however, there were some feelings I couldn't put to words. Cue Beggar's Byway. While sitting at a Starbucks on a Monday in the summer of 2019, I had an idea flicker into my mind about two twins who worked in a circus. With only thirty minutes before meeting friends at the outlet mall, I quickly penned the beginning pages of Beggar's Byway.
Slowly, the idea started growing in my mind. Instead of the dystopian genre I had written before, I decided that writing fantasy would add a sense of wonder and whimsy to my life. This world became a place of refuge for me to pen the feelings I couldn't capture with words as the characters took on the very struggles and joys I was living.
And thus, Beggar's Byway was born.
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